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B2 · Pre-advanced15 min

Inversion with negative adverbials

Syllabus topic 27: Inversion with negative adverbials

Inversion with negative adverbials. Fronted negative or restrictive adverbials trigger auxiliary-subject inversion: Never have I seen....

How it works

Fronted negative or restrictive adverbials trigger auxiliary-subject inversion: Never have I seen.... Add do/does/did when needed. Not until... inverts the following main clause, not the until clause. Hardly ... when and no sooner ... than describe close sequence.

Examples in context

Notice how each form fits its sentence. Read the context before choosing a form.

  • Never have I seen such chaos.
  • Rarely does she complain.
  • No sooner had we left than it began to rain.
  • Hardly had I arrived when the alarm rang.
  • Not until Friday did we receive the letter.

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Never ___ I seen such chaos.

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